Interests

Earlier this year Lucas Pope, the author of the fantastic dystopian document thriller 'Papers, Please', announced he was working on a new exploration/adventure kind of game set on an 1800s ship with a peculiar 1 bit Apple II rendering graphic style, but in realtime 3D. While the game is unlike Papers, Please in gameplay, setting and looks, it's clear that this is another highly creative and unusual game so I've been following its development with interest (there's an ongoing thread here, with Pope posting updates and responding to feedback: http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=40832.0 ). There was some mention of this game earlier in the Steam thread, but this week a first playable, early build was released for Mac and PC, which can be downloaded here: http://dukope.itch.io/return-of-the-obra-dinn - so I thought it'd be time for this game to get its own thread. While it's still got a long way to go, I really like the setting, the premise and the graphical style. The gameplay gimmick also seems like something with potential. As I rate Papers, Please as one of the best games I've played in the last few years, I'm really looking forward to this. #GamerGate Disclosure: I do not know Lucas Pope or anybody of his family personally. I did not have sex with this person. I do not have any financial interests in the matter. I once gave Lucas Pope money, but that was because I bought Papers, Please.

(credit to @geldra for the "x meets y" in the thread title.)
Now that Sekiro's out, this is the next most exciting release of 2019 for me*. I think it was first teased way back in 2015, but now it looks like it's closing in on a release date. From the Steam page:
Put simply, everything seen in the trailers looks amazing. Atmospheric pixel-art, lightning-fast attacks, slick movement, neo-noir stylings, moody music... The only concern surrounding the game (for me, at least) is that in the past the release date has been all over the place - so I don't know if I'm making this thread prematurely! - but considering that it's had playable builds and the April 18th date was tweeted out on March 20th, I'd like to hope that there isn't too much left to do.
*okay, Indivisible too, but that's not on the way for a while
Official website: https://www.katanazero.com/
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/460950/Katana_ZERO/
Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/katana-zero-switch

Dicey Dungeons
Roguelike dice-based dungeon crawler made by Terry Cavanagh (VVVVVV, Super Hexagon) with music by Chipzel (Super Hexagon)
PC, Mac & Linux
£11.39 £10.25 on Steam
Austin Walker: 'Dicey Dungeons' Will Help You Understand the Best New Genre in Games
I'm only 2 hours in but I love it to bits
Trailer

Hello! Hollow Knight is a platformer on PC (now), Mac (soon) and Nintendo Switch (sometime this year) and it's utterly beautiful & I'm completely in love with it.
Release Trailer:
It's a mixture between a metroidvania and a Souls-like; you're exploring a non-linear map which is gated by abilities that your character picks up along the way, while also unlocking shortcuts and collecting & spending "Geos" (souls) which you drop when you die and have to corpse run to get them back or lose them forever. The combat seems tailored towards slow, methodical timed attacks & dodging thus far (I'm 2 hours in, so this might change). I'm finding it difficult but fair, although I'm generally rubbish at video games.
Here's a video of me ineptly tackling a mini-boss which I think is a good demonstration of how it mixes the two genres (spoilers for about 3 hours into the game):
Up the top-left of the screen are my Geos (the numbered icon) and my Spirit, which you can use to either heal (hold B) or fire a projectile (tap B). You gain Spirit by damaging enemies and Geos by killing them.
It's £10.99 on Steam at the moment which is an absolute steal: http://store.steampowered.com/app/367520/ The soundtrack is also very very nice, and you can buy it on Steam or stream it on Spotify. The game was due to come out on the Wii U but it's been moved to the Switch instead and comes out later this year, the release date hasn't been confirmed yet.
I'm really enjoying it, there's a great sense of exploration and the combat feels brilliant when you get your timing right. The art-style is beautiful and there's also loads of scenery to smash, which I approve of.
You should play this game!

I've posted about this before in the Kickstarter thread, but even though the game is crowd-funded it's not actually on Kickstarter (it's a fixed funding project on Indiegogo instead) and that thread perhaps doesn't give it the exposure it deserves. The game is in its last week of funding and still needs about 300k at the time of writing, so any help is welcome at this stage, So what is Indivisible? In short, it's a hybrid of a 2D Metroidvania game (in that it has a large interconnected map, platforming, areas that are locked off until you have certain items or skills, secrets and even some sequence breaking) and an RPG, most notably in its party management, leveling and battle system. Combat is heavily inspired by Valkyrie Profile in that each character in your four-person party is mapped to a button, with directional inputs adding more moves. Combat is not turn-based. You can attack as long as you have meter, so meter management plays an extremely important role in combat. The game is made by Lab Zero Games, the team that brought you Skullgirls. Here's their campaign video: This is by no means final, but what is cool is that everything you see in there is already playable. Lab Zero released a free playable prototype for Linux, Windows, Mac, Steam and PS4. Even though it's just the tip of the iceberg, it plays really well and has some cool stuff for expert players in it, like a secret boss and sequence breaking for speedruns and pacifist runs. If you want to read what they plan on adding, this post from the design director goes into great detail: http://indivisiblegame.com/blog/building-on-the-indivisible-prototype/ Combat is already pretty damn fun and you can see how much the additions above will add to the strategy. The way attacks link, with certain attacks setting enemies up for juggling, attacks having different status effects (like putting slow down on an enemy) and the different effects for the supers of each character can all be glimpsed in the prototype, and that's without all the additional characters, weapons, stat differentiation and tech like guard breaks, buffs/debuffs and so on. Other things of note: - Your party consists of your character and three Incarnations, Now what's cool about these Incarnations is that they - like the enemies - are based on a wide variety of mythologies and cultures from all over the world. This results in an incredibly diverse cast of characters. You can read all about the Incarnations that have been revealed up to this point here: http://labzerogames.com/indiv-incarnations/ - Music is composed by Hiroki Kikuta, most famous for Secret of Mana. - The game will have many crossover indie stars that will be playable, including Juan from Guacamelee, the Drifter from Hyper Light Drifter and Shovel Knight. The final one will be revealed tomorrow, with some people expecting it to be Miriam from Bloodstained or one of the characters from Undertale. We'll see. Here are the ones revealed so far: There's tons more on their campaign site, including a cost breakdown, the different tiers etc. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/indivisible-rpg-from-the-creators-of-skullgirls#/ So, please help if you're interested.

Has anyone played this yet? Episodic adventure game with a fantastic graphical style and a very, very odd story. I bought it for the PC yesterday but I'm not sure if I finished the first episode or if it crashed. http://kentuckyroutezero.com/ There's a Giant Bomb Quicklook but I don't recommend watching it until after you've played. Trailer

http://hollowknightsilksong.com/
Hollow Knight: Silksong Revealed!
No time for fluff today gang. Let’s leap straight in for the big reveal, in trailer form!
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the second game by Team Cherry (that’s us!) and the full-scale sequel to Hollow Knight.And Pwoarrrrrrowza! if this one hasn’t been a struggle to keep under-wraps! Hidden behind the scenes, Hornet’s gigantic adventure has been growing (and growing and growing!) for well over a year now, with the very first pieces coming together right after the original PC release of Hollow Knight on Feb 24th 2017.
Almost from the very start, Hornet’s adventure was intended to take place in a new land, but as we dove in, it quickly became too large and too unique to stay a DLC, as initially planned. We do know that makes the wait a little longer, but we think the final, fresh world you’ll get to explore is worth it.
Hollow Knight: Silksong will be available, at launch, on Windows, Mac, Linux & Nintendo Switch. More platforms may happen! Just remember, we’re 3 people, already working rather hard, so we haven’t committed to anything else just yet. We don’t wanna collapse before we get this massive bug kingdom ready for you.
Eager to know more about Hollow Knight: Silksong, then we’ve lots of options: You can dive into the text below; jump over to the brand new website hollowknightsilksong.com(we made this yesterday!); or you can watch us go through it all in casual video form!
As Hornet, princess-protector of Hallownest, adventure through a whole new kingdom haunted by silk and song. Captured and brought to an unfamiliar land, Hornet must battle foes and solve mysteries as she ascends on a deadly pilgrimage to the kingdom’s peak.
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure of bugs and heroes. As the lethal hunter Hornet, journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover ancient secrets tied to your nature and your past.
Game Features
Discover a whole new kingdom! Explore coral forests, mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a whole new suite of nimble moves as you dance between foes in deadly, beautiful combat.
Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps and mechanisms to confound your enemies and explore new heights.
Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts, unearth ancient mysteries and search for lost treasures to fulfil the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope. Prepare for the unexpected!
Face over 150 all-new foes! Beasts and hunters, assassins and kings, monsters and knights – defeat them all with bravery and skill!
Experience a stunning orchestral score! Hollow Knight’s award-winning composer, Christopher Larkin, returns to bring melancholy melodies, symphonic strings and heart-thumping, soul strumming boss themes to the adventure.
Challenge Silk Soul mode! Once you conquer the game, test your skills in an all-new mode that spins the game into a unique, challenging experience.
Kickstarter Specifics
To our 2158 Backers, you’ve heard it before, but Hollow Knight, and now Hornet’s entire adventure is thanks to you!
Thanks to the incredible support of players and Kickstarter backers, what started out as a tiny game jam idea has become a game bought and played by over 2.8 million people!
As a backer, your support made this happen, so you’ll of course be receiving your copy of Hollow Knight: Silksong 100% free.
But we also know that times change, and the Nintendo Switch is quickly becoming a common (and excellent) console to own. Because of that, any backer of the game from the $10AUD and above tiers can choose to receive their copy of Hollow Knight: Silksong free on either PC or Nintendo Switch, at launch. We’ll shoot out a simple survey as we get closer to release to find out which version you’d like to receive.
Higher tier backers who received multiple copies of Hollow Knight will also receive multiple copies of Hollow Knight: Silksong, the same rules apply as for Hollow Knight. You can elect for your primary copy on either Nintendo Switch or PC, with all additional copies as PC versions.
Hollow Knight: Silksong PC (Windows, Mac & Linux) copies will be supplied as both a Steam Key and a DRM free version.
For Silksong, backer content is again seamlessly integrated into the main game. Get ready to dance with operatic queens, battle mysterious assassins, scale a soaring warlord’s tower, and that’s just to start! If you’re one of those backers, and haven’t heard from us recently, don’t worry! We’ll be reaching out in the near future as we lock down the remaining pieces.
With Silksong finally out in the open, expect lots more details in the near future. For now though, the three of us are diving back in to build this big, wild, elegant, insane world of knights, princesses, beasts and bugs!
Team Cherry Out!

By Maxis Official Site Release Date: September 4th 2014 ABOUT IMAGES VIDEOS Went ahead and got my girlfriend the limited edition, custom Steelseries mouse and Qck mousepad. Now here's hoping the thing will actually run properly on her laptop as we did a "Can You Run It?" system requirement check and it didn't meet the minimum specs required. I swear, when I explained to her what all of that meant and how she might have trouble running the game, the utter disappointment and misery across her face was priceless. Later I told her that the only component of her laptop which doesn't meet the requirements is the processor and that the game will probably run just fine. Probably. I do have to admit kind of looking forward to checking this out myself. Had a ton of fun with Sims 1 (must've been 1997 or something), mostly with the building of stuff and constantly redecorating the house. Except for the mancave where all of the electronic gadgets were (including an Oculus Rift even!). That room was perfect from the start. I also recall setting Sims on fire. Good times indeed. Oh I dread to think how the weekends will be when she's too busy with her Sims and therefore not coming over. I'll have to play Titanfall and watch Football or something instead. Damn.

Previously an iOS/Android game, now coming to PC and Mac on November 10th. I've had my eye on this for a while now and it looks fantastic.
It'll be on show at EGX, so hopefully we'll have some mukkers giving it some positive comments.
http://www.motorsportmanager.com/

"DEMON'S TILT is a tribute to ‘90s video pinball games, featuring modern effects and mechanics—including bosses, secrets, and unprecedented depth to please video gamers and hardcore pinball enthusiasts alike"
https://www.demonstilt.com/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/422510/DEMONS_TILT/
This is in the latest copy of Retro Gamer and it looks incredible. Anyone tried the Early Access?

So this is amazing, and it deserves more coverage (in my opinion). They're looking for $30,000 and they've already got over half that within a day. There's no mention of stretch goals yet, personally I'd love to see it come to Vita.
Building on the classic modes everyone has come to know and love, Drift Stage plans to include multiple new game types utilizing modern game design techniques, such as an infinite drift mode incorporating a procedurally generated course with checkpoints, as well as a decal system, allowing you to personalize your car with custom images.Single Race
A conventional single player race against AI opponents. Time Trial
Race against staff ghosts and your personal best as well as your friends' best online leaderboard times. Infinite Drift
Checkpoint style races on a randomly generated track. Daily Challenges
Challenge your friends in a time/score based daily challenge. Career Mode
Choose your racer and follow their story across multiple races. Workshop
Create custom tracks in an in-game editor and customize your cars with decals. Local & Online Multiplayer
Drift Stage features local split screen up to four players, just like the old days, in addition to online racing. There's a playable demo available here and even in the early alpha state, it's hugely enjoyable. The demo even has a photo mode in it already, so it's already way better than Driveclub!

RPS bought my attention to this silly game.
https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/01/08/yorkshire-gubbins-comedy-adventure-game/
It's an game set in Yorkshire!
There's a demo here called Verb School https://ayerobot.com/
and a prequel episode here at https://gamejolt.com/games/holy-molluscamony/256729/download/build/515073
I've only played the tutorial Verb School so far. Stick with it, at least until you enter the Door of Doom.

I thought it would be appropriate to start a new thread for RPG fans such as myself to post our findings as we sample the vast numbers of RPGS, SRPGS, rogue likes, visual-books-with-RPG-elements or other similar games which don't warrant threads of their own. I'll kick it off with two offerings: Blackguards (Mac, direct) I'm into the third act or chapter of this but I'm not sure I will be picking it up again any time soon. It's an out and out SRPG using the German P&P Demonic Eye rule set, although it has a story arc of sorts and side quests (which pretty well all culminate in a battle). There is no exploration at all, with each town simply a static screen to enable services etc. Character development is however strong since any character can be developed in different ways, although to use spells you have to decide on mage from the start. Battles vary enormously in both difficulty and interest. The best ones feature puzzle or environmental aspects which help make them more satisfying (e.g massive fire spewing cogs which need to be redirected by one of your team to prevent a captive from being fried). Combat can however be frustrating since spells have a high degree of failure, and can also be rather tedious since the same power moves and spells are spammed over and over. Finally, gear is pretty uninteresting up to this point and the frequent "restarts" to date, where your familiar set ups are stripped away, have not helped build any sense of development. The game seems 100% stable but I have no idea why 18Gig are required. I know the second Blackguards game has tweaked things a bit (e.g. having a stamina meter to equate to the astral energy one) but is currently reported as buggy. Lords of Xulima (Mac via Steam) I'm really enjoying this one. It's an indie from a Spanish developer (hence "Shoolimarr") and it satisfies my need to explore in-between battles. It is punishingly hard though, not so much from combat, which is still pretty challenging in places, but from the survival mechanic. Your team have to eat, food (mostly) costs cash and resting for long periods is the only way to heal and revive team members, but it consumes food. On top of this, if you decide to save money by popping back to town and staying at the inn, you will be charged 100g toll to enter. After a few hours play I realised the problem is all about efficiency in combat and restarted with a new team (you play as the explorer plus 5 team members of your choice covering the usual bases, 3 back row and 3 melee types). I thereby managed to complete the first map much more efficiently and actually bought a few weapons or armour items as well (loot exists out there but a team of six need a lot of gear). If that sounds a bit smug, I fell into exactly the same trap yesterday whilst exploring the cellars of the first castle and had to restart a section over... ( a hungry team is more or less game over) Whilst exploring there are simple bulletin board quests to complete, plus dungeons with hidden doors, traps, locks to pick, mazes to complete, deadly fungi to navigate around...And if its dark, torches are essential (and torches cost cash of course). Combat is represented simplistically as two rows of 3 versus the enemies, you don't see your guys only their weapons or spell effects. It's a meaty system though and reminds me of those old school JRPGs with all the various status effects which seem to have been removed from many modern games, bleed, sick, curse, injured etc. Also, like JRPGs there are random encounters but these can be avoided up to point anyway. The game looks gorgeous in its isometric presentation. Little story, no meaningful NPC interaction, but lots of content here for sure.

By Counterplay Games
Play Now | Steam
Official Site | Wiki | Reddit | PC Gamer Primer
Release Date: August 23, 2016 (Steam)
ABOUT
IMAGES
VIDEOS
While it is still technically in open-beta the game will 'release' to version 1.0 on April 27. Now I'm not much of a card game connoisseur (I've only played Hearthstone for a couple of hours) but I do like strategy and this seems to offer it in spades! You choose a faction, place your cards on a grid where units can then move around freely, you outsmart your enemy for a bit and after a match you get currency to unlock new cards which then allow you to build a better deck and so on and so forth. You get the idea. Basically if you mix The Banner Saga with Hearthstone you'd end up with Duelyst... I think? Turns go by fast and while there's obviously some RNG involved the tutorial and matches against the AI haven't felt unfair (so far). Obviously I've not even scratched the surface here but have already won my first online game just now, hurray!
So give this a try! It's free, looks gorgeous (seriously, how could you say no to those sprites?) and while I'd be the first to admit that a strategy game involving cards/deck building can feel a bit overwhelming, the short tutorial does a good job of establishing the basics and letting you then progress naturally. By the time you've had a few practice matches against the AI you're ready to go up against your first human opponent and take your first steps to world domination (add me to get rekt breh)!
I'm curious to hear what the residential Hearthstone players make of this? How does it compare? Is it any good? Is it for casual plebs? Validate my enjoyment please.

Okay with just a few days left on this (already funded) Kickstarter, figured it deserved a thread of its own.
The 90's Arcade Racer
http://youtu.be/bywfy_hcq_s
http://www.kickstart...0s-arcade-racer
Proper old school Arcade racer based on the likes of Scud Race, Daytona USA and Indy 500.
WiiU release just announced along with PC/Mac, Android, iOS and Linux.
Also its looking highly likely that there may be an ingame billboard featuring a certain forum name that may be close to a lot of your hearts (not NeoGaf!)
So whos in? I certainly am!..... Just look at it!
Latest Update: 11/02/2013
More game details taken from Kickstarter page:

By Monomi Park
Official Site | Steam | Humble | Xbox One
Release Date: August 1, 2017
ABOUT
IMAGES
VIDEOS
This has now popped up on Steam Early Access! I really, really want to buy this but with XCOM 2 around the corner and this still being in development I have to hold off for now. But man this seems like pure blissful glee. I can't wait!

It's the new one from Big Robot, who made Sir/madam, You Are Being Hunted.
A bit more sci-fi, a lot less Toodle Pip We're English this time. Not on procedural territory this time but some of the other things like observing the AI and getting involved if you want or simply legging it sound familiar. I like the look of the giant wrecks in an alien landscape, I wonder how well they'll address the criticisms of the last game.